Singers from Penn State, local high schools and a historically Black university will celebrate the influence and inspiration of Martin Luther King Jr. with a choral tribute on Saturday, Jan. 21, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
The program will feature Penn State’s Essence of Joy, conducted by Anthony T. Leach; Morgan State University Concert Choir, conducted by Eric Conway; State College Area High School Master Singers, conducted by Erik Clayton; and Bellefonte Area High School Concert Choir, conducted by Eric Binser. Leach is the event’s artistic coordinator, and special guest ensemble Mwenso and The Shakes will accompany the performers.
Performances will focus on choral and vocal music from African and African-American musical idioms that emphasize King’s legacy and influence.
“A Choral Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” is a vocal program modeled after the success of a concert series at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. That concert event, started in 1990, features local high school, university/college, worship center and community choirs coming together to celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday through song.
General admission tickets are on sale at the Eisenhower Auditorium ticket center, by phone at 814-863-0255 or online at cpa.psu.edu. Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for University Park students and $10 for patrons 18 and younger.
The performance is part of Penn State’s Martin Luther King Jr. Week of Commemoration: A Testament of Hope, and presented in partnership with the university’s Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity and the MLK Jr. Student Commemorative Committee.
